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The Catholic church is at war with the Ministry of Education over the control of hundreds of schools across the country which it sponsors.

 Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), led by chairman Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba yesterday said the proposed Education Bill (Basic Education Bill, 2024) seeks to dilute and reduce the role of the church in schools and other educational institutions.

Muhatia said the bill is in breach of the original arrangement between the church and the State on how church-founded education institutions were to be managed.

The 29 bishops rejected what they described as a systematic scheme to undermine and weaken the management role as founders of the Catholic sponsored schools.

“Our history is very clear, that many of these institutions were established by our missionaries, who worked tirelessly and with great sacrifice, to set them up and nurtured them for many years. The main contribution was not only academic education but a true formation of morals and humanity,” said Muhatia during  a press conference held in Nairobi.

Muhatia is the new KCCB chairman, having replaced Archbishop Martin Kivuva of Mombasa while Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri and Apostolic Administrator of Embu, is now the vice chair.

He added: “This has given our country great leaders and forged the moral fabric of our society. From independence, there has been a gradual attempt to wrestle the management and role of churches in the schools.”

According to the bishops, the proposed new bill now further threatens the crucial role of churches in the country’s education system. “As a major stakeholder in the provision of education, we as a church, have a right to actively engage in the overall management and supervision of all our private and Catholic-sponsored schools. Most of these were born out of the initiative of the Catholic church,” the bishops affirmed.

Universities Bill

At the same time, Muhatia said the proposed Universities Bill (amendment) 2024, grants the minister unilateral power of dissolution and merger, conversion or amalgamation of private universities without reference to the owners.

 “While we wish to follow the standards set by the Ministry of Education, we wish that there always be full consultation with all stakeholders in matters that affect our universities,” Muhatia stated. “It is surprising that instead of focusing on improving the situation in public universities where the situation is dire, the government wishes to control and interfere with our faith-based universities,”

The bishops also decried the long outstanding debts owed by the  National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to mission hospitals that has now accumulated to over Sh2 billion.

Muheria said the effect is that most hospitals are crippled and not able to operate optimally and subsequently offer services to the needy. Muheria said most faith-based health facilities are now unable to procure medicines and pay salaries, noting that on various occasions, they raised to the Government the unjust fact that they are owed huge amounts by NHIF.

“The Catholic Church owns and manages hundreds of hospitals and dispensaries in the country. This we do in response to our God-given mandate to support human dignity no matter the circumstances. In partnership with the Government, we have complemented Government efforts to make health services reach the most needy,” Muheria explained.

Empty promises

He said the country is now in the process of shifting to the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and their enquiries on whether the debts will be honored have been met with mere promises and no legal guarantee.

“This is not only unfair but totally unjust! We demand from the government to promptly clear the NHIF debts owed to all facilities that have provided medical services under the NHIF scheme before the transition to the new SHIF,” said Muheria.

On the doctors’ strike, the bishops urged both parties to seek dialogue and settle the matter once and for all, saying that they believe a mutual position can be reached quickly to end the unnecessary suffering of the patients.

They regretted that situation is deplorable as the country is witnessing misery of the sick saying that many have died and others are deteriorating in their sickness because of the current standoff.

This is worsened by the inability of the faith-based hospitals to fully respond to the crisis, as they have been crippled by the NHIF debts.